Shade or curtain fixture



Patented lune l3, I899.-

L. WILLIAMS.

SHADE AND CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Oct 17, 1898.)

{No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

LILY WVILLIAMS, OF LAKE VIEW, NEW JERSEY.

SHADE OR CURTAIN FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,742, dated June 13,1899.

Application filed October 1'7, 1898. Serial No. 693,'779. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, LILY WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lake View, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shade or Curtain Fixtures,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fixtures for shade and curtainrollers in which the shade-roller is operated by a spring in conjunctionwith a pawl and brake and fixture supporting a pole for a curtain.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a means foroperating a shade by an arrangement which can be applied to the end ofan ordinary shade-roller and which will not as easily get out of orderas and can be more easily repaired than those at present in use; second,the means of operating the same, and, third, a shade-roller bracketwhich also acts as a support fora curtain-pole. I attain these objectsby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 represents a side view of my improvement with a shade, roller,and curtainpole in place. Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1 with theshade on the roller. Fig. 3isaplan of Fig. 1 looking from the top. Fig.l shows a side view of a bracket or case with the two positions oflever, pawl, and brake. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the small gear anda cap for receiving the roller. Fig. 6 represents a side view of thelarge gear with the spring and axle in place. Fig. '7 is an edge view ofFig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detailed end view of lever, pawl, and brake on theone axle. Figs. 9 and 10 represent a side and ground plan of bracket forsupporting the other end of the roller and pole, drawn on a small scale.Fig. 11 represents an enlarged detailed view showing the pawl, brake,and lever, and the gear, and the construction of the end of the pawl andits relation to the teeth of the gear.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The bracket consists of two members a and b, connected at their rearends, one of these members, a, being extended beyond the other to form apole-support. This bracket is secured to the window-casing and supportsthe one end of the shade-roller by means of the sleeve m, of which thegear g and the bearing at is a part, as shown in Fig. 5. The bracketalso contains the larger gear h and spring 2', as shown in Figs. 6 and7, and lever j, pawl 7t", and brake Z. The side a is flanged at fand hasscrews u, which hold the curtainpole e. To a hub on the shaft or axle 0there is a spring t, with one end secured at a; and coiled around thehub and the other end secured to the bracket by a wire 20. Beside thehub with the spring on the same axle the gear h is secured, which is indriving contact with the gear g on the sleeve m, which can be placedover the end of any ordinary shaderoller, and when the end at has beeninserted in the side of the bracket the top of the gear h is kept fromrevolving to the right by the hooked shape of the end of the pawlZqfitting in the gear h; but when the shade d is drawn down by takinghold of the same the gear h then turns in the opposite direction-4'. e.,the top of the gear then turns to the left. The slope of the inside ofthe hooked point of the pawl and its point of contact with the gearbeing to one side of a vertical from the center of the gear 7?. permitsthe hook of the pawl to drag over the teeth of the gear h withoutlifting the'pawl by means of the lever and cord 25. The point and angleof contact between the end of the pawl and the teeth of the gear h areindicated by the line n and the slope of the end of pawl 2, as shown inFig. 11.

The pawl 70, leverj, and brake Z are each secured at one of their endson the same axle 19. Hence they all move at the same time.

The brake Zis in the shape of a segment of a circle, which circlecorresponds to the circumference of the gear h. When the lever j isdrawn down far enough, the brake Z bears on the face of the gear h andwhen pressed hard enough retards and controls the revolutions of thegear and the shade. The pawl is raised sufficiently to release the gearby drawing down on the lever-cord i; but to apply the brake the weightof the pull on the lever j has to be increased.

The spring 9" in Figs. 1 and 4 is nearly a straight springand isfastened at one end at o and rests near its center on a small wire orpin in the bottom of the bracket and has its other end drawn inward andheld to the end of the brake Z by the screw 8. Its inclination tostraighten out gives the brake lits outward 42 seems tendency, which inturn gives the pawl 7c its The pole e, on which the curtain is hung, is

secured in its place by screws to and flanged sides f of the one side aof the bracket.

moves with it pawl k and brake Z to the dotted positions marked,respectively, j is Z.

the spring 11 is extended to its fullest, or thereabout. When the shadeis drawn down, the

spring 'L is wound on the hub on the axle 0 by the gear h in connectionwith the gear 9 on end of shade-roller c and is held there by the pawlk, which enters between the teeth of the gear :h by means of the spring7'.

When it is desired to raise the shade, the

string 25 on the end of le-verj is drawn down,

which causes the pawl to release the gear h, 1 which is connected to thespring. The shade d would .be wound up very rapidly, but is retarded bydrawing farther down on the lever 3', so as to cause the brake Z topress against, the faceof the gear h in-slidingcontact. Thus and thereverse.

the shade is wound up as the spring unwinds This arrangement makes avery neat, economical, and durable shade and curtain-pole fixture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat In Fig. 4 when the lever j is drawn down it ent, is

In a self-acting shade-roller, the combina- 3 tion with the roller andbrackets for mount- When the shade d is up or near to roller 0,

ing the same, of means for automatically rotating the roller, consistingof a spring and gear mounted in one ofsaid brackets, a pawl and brakerigidly united and pivoted to the bracket so that said pawl and brakemay engage said gear, and a lever connected to said pawl and brake, andadapted to bring them alternately into contact with the gear,substantially as set forth and described.

Signed at Lake View, in the county of Passaic and State-0f New Jersey,this 1st day of October, A. D. 1898.

LILY WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. ARNOLD, WALT-ER S. MILLs.

